ABSTRACT

Aim: Endowashers are the main source of infection in endoscopy. Therefore, we undertook this study to evaluate endowashers as a source of infection after endoscopic procedures.

Methods: A total of 240 endowashers were sampled. Sterile water was made to flow through the pump of the endowasher and the water samples were collected and tested microbiologically according to standardized tests. If endowashers were contaminated, the devices were reprocessed and re-examined.

Results: Of 240 samples, 160 (66.7%) were contaminated with pathogens of up to > 20 000 CFU/mL. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other Gram-negative non-fermenters such as Stenotrophomonasspp and Acinetobacter spp, and Staphylococcus aureus among Gram-positive organisms were more predominant. Some of the Gram-negative bacilli, such as Enterobacter cloacae and Serratia spp were also isolated. Both Streptococcus spp and Candida albicans were the least common organisms isolated from the endowasher water samples.

Conclusion: Endowashers can be a potential source of infection. Hence, routine checking of the water samples for quality control of endowashers should be done to monitor the spread of nosocomial infections by potentially resistant bacteria.